Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
1995-09-26
2001-04-10
Davis, David (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215613
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to cartridge tape drives. In particular, the present invention is an apparatus to open the protective door of a cartridge tape when the tape cartridge is inserted into a tape drive.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cartridge tape drives are widely used in the computer industry for backing up data on hard disks. These drives utilize tape cartridges which consist of reels of magnetic tape mounted within a plastic and metal protective cartridge. In front of each cartridge is a door which must be rotated open to allow a read/write head located inside the tape drive to contact the magnetic tape within the tape cartridge.
Unfortunately all tape cartridges do not use the same size format. As such, a tape cartridge door opener which was designed to work for an industry standard DC2000 tape cartridge may not work for the newly introduced TRAVAN tape cartridge made by 3M corporation. Typically a fixed rail was used by prior art tape drives to open the DC2000 tape door. This rail would cause the tape door to open as the cartridge was pushed inside the tape drive. As the door opened, a gap was opened up into which the fixed rail would fit thereby allowing the tape cartridge to continue to be inserted fully into the tape drive.
The TRAVAN tape cartridge design precludes a fixed rail type of tape door opener as has been utilized in the industry for the DC2000. Because of the side design of the TRAVAN cartridge, a fixed rail would hit the side features of the cartridge and prevent the cartridge from being fully inserted into the tape drive.
FIG. 1
illustrates a DC2000 size format tape cartridge and
FIG. 2
illustrates an TRAVAN tape cartridge. As can be readily seen from a comparison of
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the TRAVAN tape cartridge side
201
does not have a slot as does the DC2000 (
101
). While not illustrated, the left and right sides of the tape cartridges are substantially symmetrical. Since the TRAVAN is missing a slot such as
101
, a fixed rail door opener will strike the side of the TRAVAN cartridge thereby preventing the full insertion of the cartridge into the tape drive.
To allow both a DC2000 and an TRAVAN cartridge to be utilized in a single tape drive, a different door opening mechanism is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a tape cartridge door opener which will open both a DC2000 and an TRAVAN tape cartridge when either tape cartridge is inserted into a tape drive. This inventive apparatus consists of a rotatable arm that is loaded by a torsion spring. When a tape cartridge is inserted into a tape drive equipped with this inventive door opener, the end of the rotatable arm pushes open the tape door. In the case of a DC2000 cartridge, after the door is opened the arm slides into a slot in the side of the cartridge thereby permitting the cartridge to be fully inserted into the tape drive. In the case of an TRAVAN cartridge, after the door is opened the arm is pushed out of the way by the side of the cartridge again permitting the cartridge to be fully inserted into the tape drive.
The torsion spring serves to position the end of the arm such that it will open the tape door of either cartridge. Additionally, when an TRAVAN cartridge is being used, the spring also allows the arm to be pushed out of the way as the cartridge is inserted into the tape drive.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4556923 (1985-12-01), Olmsted
patent: 5025334 (1991-06-01), Perona et al.
patent: 5109308 (1992-04-01), Kukreja et al.
patent: 5371639 (1994-12-01), Bryer
Arris Robert L.
Bassett Jonathan D.
Hunter Charles L.
Stephens Fred O.
Davis David
Hewlett--Packard Company
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